President Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago to advance implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and to discuss rising Israeli concerns about Iran’s ballistic missile expansion. The U.N. Security Council recently approved Phase Two of Trump’s 20-point plan, but details about the proposed governance board and stabilization force remain sparse. Netanyahu is expected to present options for countering Iran, while Trump has signaled he may be open to renewed diplomacy with Tehran.
Trump To Host Netanyahu At Mar-a-Lago To Push Gaza Truce And Discuss Iran Threats
Trump's plan envisions the rebuilding of Gaza after much of the Palestinian territory was destroyed in Israel's campaign. (Majdi Fath / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Monday to press forward on the Gaza ceasefire he helped broker and to hear Netanyahu’s concerns about Iran’s growing missile capabilities. A White House official told NBC News that the Gaza truce and Iran’s ballistic missile program will be central topics at the meeting. The visit follows Trump’s meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, part of U.S. efforts to advance diplomacy in multiple conflict zones.
Gaza: Phase Two Stalls
The Israel-Hamas truce, which took effect in October and followed the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, ended the latest full-scale hostilities in Gaza. Diplomats say progress on the more complex Phase Two of the agreement has largely stalled. Local authorities report that more than 400 people have died in Gaza since the truce, and Israel accuses Hamas of violations, including delays in returning the remains of hostages — one body is reportedly still outstanding.
Last month the U.N. Security Council approved Phase Two of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which envisions an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas relinquishing its weapons. Few specifics have been released about the proposed "Board of Peace" — to be led by Trump — that would oversee Gaza’s governance, or about the International Stabilization Force (ISF) proposed for deployment to the territory.
Monday's meeting will be Netanyahu's sixth with Trump this year. (Alex Wong / Getty Images file)
Iran: Missile Program And Possible Options
Netanyahu is expected to press Trump on mounting Israeli concerns that Iran is expanding production of its ballistic missile arsenal — a program that Israel says was damaged by strikes earlier this year. Israeli officials are preparing briefings for the president that would outline potential responses, including options for new strikes, and the Israeli leader may seek U.S. participation or support for any future operations.
The United States and Israel conducted coordinated strikes on Iran’s major nuclear enrichment facilities in June, and while Trump has backed some military options, he has also recently signaled possible openness to returning to diplomatic talks with Tehran.
Diplomatic Rhythm And Next Steps
Senator Marco Rubio said Washington aims to have the new governance bodies in place "very soon," and Rubio is scheduled to meet Netanyahu before the prime minister’s session with the president. The Mar-a-Lago talks will test whether the two leaders can move Phase Two forward in Gaza while also resolving how to address Israel’s concerns about Iran without igniting broader regional escalation.
What to watch: clarity on the Board of Peace and ISF roles, any U.S. response to Israeli requests on Iran, and whether the meeting yields a concrete timetable for Gaza’s Phase Two implementation.
